I am hoping you all can help me, I am desperate to solve a flea problem. I have done everything I can possibly think of to get rid of fleas: had the yard sprayed, had the entire house sprayed, treat them with topical every 3 weeks, baths, washed everything, etc. I just found fleas and flea dirt on ALL four of them again. I am seriously on the verge of tears. I have spent close to $1000 trying to get rid of them. Does anyone have any ideas? Is there something I haven't done? Something I could do again? I am at my wits end!

Thanks in advance!

MARK MARSHALL

26th September 2009, 08:46 AM

My first thoughts are to do with your neigbours and other pet owners ?

Are others suffering or are you the only one locally ?

For some reason, you are not killing the cycle of the flea so they keep on coming.

Introduce garlic to their food, that will help unless there is a reason why you cant do so ?

As a matter of fact, what have you tried to kill them with ? Have you used a Professional Pest Control Co ?

Lets hope we can sort this quickly for you. Keep being positive.

Mark.

lorebringer

26th September 2009, 09:26 AM

What are you using to get rid of them off your dogs? Flew shampoos and powders are not vet long lasting and generally get rid of the fleas that are on the dog at time of washing. Have you used a spot on treatment? These keeps fleas off your dogs for a month/six weeks at a time. Even if they are in the enviroment, they won't be all over your dogs. This shoudl help break the cycle of feeding. Advantage, Frontline and Stronghold are all good treatments. If you are using a spot on treatment, you could be washing if off if you wash them within a week of applying it.

Are you washing the beds etc. at 60 deg celcius or over, in bio washing powder, to kill of the fleas? If not, they could be remaining and reinfecting.

Also, if they have/have had fleas, your dogs will prob need to be wormed, just as a precaution. Because the fleas are coming into direct contact with your dogs blood they can spread parasites into it.

I hope you sort out this problem soon, it must be so frustraiting for you. Good luck!

harleyfarley

26th September 2009, 10:46 AM

Do you have cats, or do the dogs come into area where wild animals have been, i know my dogs often have fleas yet they dont come into contact with any other animals, so where do they come from, ive been told fleas will live in grass for a while then attach to your dog when they pass there. ?

CVFlagg

26th September 2009, 09:39 PM

Hi,

Below is everything I have done to this point listed out. I live in the city and my dogs are either inside, in the backyard or on a walk down the street. They don't go to dog parks, pet stores, daycares or boarding facilities. I left a message for the vet to see what he thinks our next move should be but I am at my wits end!

- Dogs have been to groomer and had flea baths
- Given Capstar after baths
- Applied Frontline 2 days after baths
- Give 2 Brewer's Yeast tablets with garlic everyday
- While dogs were at groomers had the house professionally treated and the yard professionally treated.
- Washed all bedding, towels and took apart couch to vacuum. I have no carpet in the house.

Karlin

26th September 2009, 09:47 PM

Frontline doesn't work on some fleas -- some have developed resistance. That is probably your problem -- you can treat the house but some are surviving on the dogs. Try Stronghold or one of the other vet-recommended treatments. Also bedding generally needs to be sprayed every two weeks or so to break the cycle.

A plain old flea comb can be very effective too.

You also might bring them into the vet just to confirm that you are truly dealing with fleas? I am sure you know that that is what you are seeing but just in case. :)

Karen and Ruby

26th September 2009, 10:08 PM

I had this problem a while back as there were badgers in the garden, the fleas of which are just huge and really hard to get rid og but i tryed stronghold which worked ok.

waldor

26th September 2009, 10:37 PM

I had no luck with FrontlinePlus this summer. We finally found relief with K9Advantix. If ticks are not a problem, you could also look at the once-a-month pill Comfortis. My vet carries it. If the K9Advantix didn't work, that was going to be my next step. Thank goodness I didn't have to do that, because ticks are a big problem where we live.